Interlocking device for voting-machines.



No. 773,140. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

- A. J. GILLESPIE.

INTERLOGKING DEVICE FOR VOTINGMAOHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1904.

I aliwento'z Patented October 25, 1904.

OUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. GILLESPIE, OFv ROCHESTER, NEl/V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO U. S.

STANDARD VOTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INTERLOOKING DEVICE FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 773,140, dated October 25, 1904.

On'ginal application filed October 28, 1899, Serial No. 735,084. Divided and this application filed March 9, 1904. Serial No. 197,269.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. GILLEsPIE, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Devices for Voting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to improveventing the movement of an excessive number of ballot-indicators to voted position when formed into large or multicandidate groups. This application is a division of my prior application, No. 7 35,084, filed October 28, 1899.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear view, partly in section, of the front plate of a voting-machine of the type shown in my prior patent. Figs. 2 and 3 are detailed perspective views of the interlocking projections on adjacent interlocking rods; and Fig. 4c is a perspective view, partly in section, showing the compensating plate.

Similar reference-numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

1 indicates the interlocking rods of the voting-machine connected to ballot-indicators of any suitable construction; but in the present instance these are shown as flat straps connected at one end to ballot indicators or keys 2 of the general type contained in my prior patents referred to, portionspf said rods or straps, and preferably at the extreme ends, being thickened and adapted to relatively cooperate to prevent movement to voted position of morethan a predetermined number of indicators. In the present embodiment these interlocking rods 1 extend between supports or channel plates (indicated by 3) secured within the casing of the machine, in which channels are arranged abutments 4:, having apertures therein and adapted to be secured in position by pins 5, extending transversely through the channel-plates and the abutments. These blocks or abutments 4 are ordinarily so relatively arranged that the interlocking rods or straps of the series of indicators devoted to candidates for the same ofl ice extend between two of them; but as the pins 5 are removable it will be understood that when removed the blocks' i may be permitted to move longitudinally of the channels, and the adjacent groups of indicators may be formed into a multicandidate group to permit the movement to voted position of more than a single indicator and rod. In the present embodiment of my invention I also arrange in the channels freely-movable separating blocks or plates 6, and the thickened portions or enlargements on opposite sides of each of the interlocking rods, which are adapted to pass between the plates 6 when the rods are moved to voted position, are together thicker than the separating blocks or plates 6, and those on adjacent rods are out of line with each other, so that they will break joints when removed from between the channels, and thereby occupy less space than if said thickened portions were of the same shape on each side of the rod that is to say, the enlargements or thickened portions of one rod will be at, say, the sides and those of the next rod will be at the center, the ends of adjacent rods being shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The preferred manner of forming these enlargements or thickened portions is to provide narrow V-shaped plates preferably having inclined proximate ends and secure them to the rods or straps by inserting the looped portion in slots formed in the latter. Thus in Fig. 2 the rod or strap is provided with slots in the sides, and two of these loop-plates are inserted therein and secured by soldering or otherwise, while in the next adjacent rod or strap (shown in Fig. 3) the plate 7 is secured at the center thereof by passing its looped portion through the narrow slot 8, formed in the end of the rod, then turning it in the enlarged aperture, so that the arms extend parallel with the rod and securing it in position, as shown in said figure. By thus constructing the enlargement on proximate sides of adjacent rods out of line with each other I am enabled to reduce the space occupied by interlocking mechanism, so when the wedges or plates 7 are not between the separating-plates 6 the single plates pass between the double plates on the next adjacent rods, although when they are drawn in between the separating-plates 6 the entrance of more than the predetermined number between the abutments 4: is effectually prevented. By removing the pins 5, which secure the blocks or abutments 4, the adjacent groups of rods may be formed into larger groups intermediate the abutments a then being movable in the channels, as understood.

\Vhen a large number of the adjacent groups of interlocking rods are connected as described, it might happen that as there is necessarily some space between them, allowing freedom of movement, the aggregate amount would be suflicient to permit the operation of one more indicator than the group is adapted for, and this should be guarded against by limiting the movement of the spacing-blocks and rod or by adding abutments of suflicient thickness to compensate for the excessive space. In the present arrangement I accomplish this by the employment of a compensating block or spacing-plate 10, (shown in Fig. 4,) having a neck or shank extending laterally from the channel and provided with the extended end 11, which latter serves as a convenient means for manipulating the plate, and also indicates its location in the column, so that it may be removed when desired to restore the machine for single-candidate-group voting.

It will be understood that when a ballotindicator is moved to voted position one of the interlocking rods is drawn in, as shown at the top of Fig. 1, and after the vote has been registered in any suitable manner the interlocking rods are restored to normal position with their thickened portion outside of the channel by any suitable means such, for instance, as the returning-bar 12, which passes through slots 13 in the interlocking rods, as shown, or in any preferred manner.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a voting-machine, the combination with a plurality of series of ballot-indicators,

and the interlocking rods therefor, having the thickened portions, of abutments between which the rods extend, devices for detachably securing the abutments dividing the rods into groups, and an additional compensating plate adapted to be inserted between the rods for preventing the operation of more than one for each group.

2. In a voting-machine, the combination with a plurality of series of ballot-indicators, and the interlocking rods therefor having the thickened portions, of the channel, the separating plates or blocks arranged in the channel between which the rods extend, the abutments in the channel, means for detachably holding them stationary dividing the rods into groups, and the compensating plate having the extended ends arranged in the channel. and the projecting shank.

3. In a voting-machine, the combination with the ballot-indicators, interlocking rods connected thereto and having the thickened portions, the channel, the abutments, and means for securing them rigidly when desired, and the compensating plate having the ends adapted to it in the channel, the shank and the laterally-extending outer end.

4:. In a voting-machine, the combination with the ballot-indicators, the interlocking rods connected thereto having the thickened portions composed of the bent plates extending on opposite sides of the rods, one of said rods having a single plate thereon, and the adjacent rods having two plates on opposite sides of the plane in which the single plate extends, of the separating-plates between the rods and the abutments for limiting the number of rods it is permissible to operate.

5. In an interlocking mechanism, the combination with two stationary abutments, a series of movable blocks or plates, of interlocking rods extending between the blocks having the enlargements thereon, the enlargements on the proximate sides of adjacent rods being out of line with each other and together thicker than the blocks.

6. In an interlocking mechanism, the combination with a series of movable blocks or plates, of interlocking rods extending between the blocks and having enlargements thereon, those on the proximate sides of adjacent rods being out of line with each other and together thicker than the blocks.

7. In a grouping device, the combination with movable blocks, of interlocking rods extending between the blocks having enlargements or projections on opposite sides, those on adjacent rods being arranged to break joints with each other.

8. In an interlocking mechanism, the combination with blocks or plates, of interlocking rods extending between them having enlargements thereon, those on one red breakto be moved between the separating-blocks, and those on adjacent rods being arranged to break joints.

ALFRED J. GILLESPIE.

WVitnesses:

J. E. GILLESPIE, H. V. MoGREGoR. 

